


This New World

by pandasfandomstories



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, F/M, Gen, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-05-29 13:56:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6378748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandasfandomstories/pseuds/pandasfandomstories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when you put three Blackhawks, three girls, and one Dallas Stars player in the zombie apocalypse? Well let's just say it probably won't go the way they imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A zombie apocalypse/hockey story! Hopefully you guys like this! I thought of the idea while watching Walking Dead and thinking about Andrew Shaw.

Leah Robertson was on a small weekend vacation in Dallas, visiting one of her best friends Patrick Sharp. Patrick was traded to Dallas from Chicago last year, but the two stayed in touch and visited whenever they could. Leah had been watching some movies while Patrick went to a meeting. She sat on the couch in black leggings and one of Patrick’s long-sleeved shirts. She saw his car pull up and smiled knowing that he was home. He walked up the walkway and came inside looking like he had seen a ghost. Leah looked up at him and her smile disappeared.

            “Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked him softly.

            Patrick set his bag down and sat next to her on the couch. “Have you watched the news?” he asked.

            “No, I was watching movies. What’s going on?” Leah asked, getting concerned.

            Patrick reached for the remote and flipped the channel, turning the news on. “I’m not sure.” He said softly.

            “Breaking news out of Atlanta right now; where three people have been rushed to the hospital with the same virus. All three patients complained of high fevers, rash, and hallucinations. One patient was pronounced dead when he arrived to the hospital, but revived himself and lunged at a nurse, biting her shoulder. Two hours later, the nurse complained of the same symptoms.” The reporter said. “We now go live to Atlanta General where Tom Boyd is standing with an EMT who was dispatched to one of the patient’s home. Tom?”

            The T.V panned to a reporter standing with a paramedic in front of the hospital. While Tom Boyd began to speak, there were screams from the hospital entrance. The nurse who was bit walked out with the patient who bit her. They both looked like they were decaying, and their eyes were glazed over in a white film. They gnashed their teeth as they headed towards Tom Boyd.

            “Oh my God.” Leah said softly. “What’s wrong with them?” she asked.

            Patrick tensed as the camera showed three security guards shooting at the nurse and the patient. They were both shot in the chest and stomach but kept walking. “This is insane.” Patrick said softly.

            The camera panned back to the news studio to a horrified news reporter. She tried to keep her composure while she spoke. “W-we’ll have updates as we receive them. We hope to hear from Tom soon.” She said.

            Patrick turned the T.V off and stood up. “Tyler was talking about hearing something about a virus this morning, and it escalated into this. Maybe it’s rabies or something.” He mumbled, trying to make sense of everything.

            Leah stared at the blank screen and then looked up to Patrick. “Do you think it’ll get here?” she asked.

            He shrugged and walked back to the couch, sitting next to her. Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. “Hello? Tyler, slow down. What? No we just turned it off, why?” he looked at the T.V screen again and turned it back on. “I got it on now.” He said.

            A cell phone video played showing two airplane passengers at the Dallas airport with the same look as the nurse and patient. “We’re being told that the two patients were flying home from Atlanta and began experiencing symptoms on the plane, forcing an emergency landing in Dallas. All flights in or out have been cancelled until further notice.” The reporter spoke. The video ended with one of the passenger’s being shot in the head, and then screams.

            “No…” Leah said unsure of what to do or how to react. “It’s here.” She said.

            Patrick swallowed a lump in his throat and spoke into the phone. “Tyler I’ll have to call you back.” He hung up and looked at Leah who was near tears. “Hey, come here.” He said pulling her into a hug.

            She held him tight, crying into his shoulder. “What’s wrong with them? It’s here in Dallas we have to get out of here.” She said.

            Patrick held her close, rubbing the back of her head gently. “I don’t know what it is sweetheart; I just know that I’m going to keep you safe, alright?”

            Leah nodded and sat up, wiping her eyes. “What are we going to do?” she asked.

            “I’ll think of something, okay? Why don’t you go get dressed and get your stuff packed? I’m going to make some phone calls.” He said and pushed her hair back. “Everything is going to be fine, I promise.”

            She nodded and did as she was told.

  Leah got her jeans on and changed into one of her shirts. She put a jacket on over and got her boots on. She got her bags packed and came downstairs hearing the end of Patrick’s phone conversation. She set her bags down and crossed her arms over her chest.

            Patrick hung up his phone and gave her a small smile. “The team’s private jet is taking anyone who wants to leave the state home. I’m putting you on there and you’re going to fly back to Chicago. There isn’t any news about it spreading there, so it’ll be safe there.” He said.

            “Patrick, I don’t want to leave you. Come with me.” Leah said softly.

            He stepped towards her and held her face in his hands. “Leah, listen to me. Whatever is going on got into Texas. I want you to go home and stay safe from all of this. Tyler said that the government is already working to get it under control. I have to stay here and get my family to a safe spot before I leave.” He said softly. “I promise you I’ll be safe, okay?” he said.

            Leah held his arm gently. “How can your promise that?” she asked him softly.

            He smiled softly. “I always keep my promises to you, sweetie.” He hugged her tight, kissing her head. “I’m going to get my jacket and then we’ll head over to the jet, okay?”

            She nodded and took a deep breath while Patrick went upstairs.

  Patrick grabbed his jacket and came downstairs. He took Leah to the car and got her bags in the back. He drove to the private airport, holding her hand the entire time. There was a sense of fear that he felt, but he knew he had to be strong for her. They pulled up to the lot and carried Leah’s bags for her. She stayed close to him while they walked to the jet which was waiting on the runway. He walked her onto the plane and got her situated in her seat.

            “Shawzy’s gonna pick you up at their team runway. Call me as soon as you get home, okay?” he said, pulling her into a hug.

            Leah hugged him tight and nodded. “I’ll call right away.” She said pulling away slowly. “I’ll see you soon, right?” she asked.

            He nodded and pushed her hair back. “As soon as I get things figured out here, I’ll be on this plane to you guys.” He said. “I gotta go so you can take off. I’ll see you soon.” He said and kissed her forehead. “Stay safe.”

            Leah nodded and held his arms gently. “I will. You be safe and hurry back home, please?” she asked.

            “I will.” He said and hugged her one last time.

  Leah sat in her seat and buckled up, watching Patrick walk off of the plane. She looked out her window and blew him a kiss which he “caught”. As the plane took off, she felt an uneasy feeling in her gut. She had no idea if or when she would see Patrick again, and that scared her. The jet landed in Chicago a few hours later and she got her bags, walking off with the rest of the families and players who took the jet. She walked onto the runway and saw Andrew standing there waiting for her. She dropped her bags and ran to him, hugging him tight. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight.  

            “Hey, I got you. You’re safe alright?” he said softly.

            Leah held onto him and nodded. She was glad to be home and even gladder to see Andrew safe and sound.

  He got her bags for her and drove her back to their shared apartment. The two had been roommates for a few years and friends for even longer. When they got home, Leah put her bags into her room and sat on her bed, dialing Patrick’s number. It rang three times before she heard an automated voice.

            _“This phone number has been disconnected. Please hang up and try again.”_


	2. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got longer than the last installment, but I hope you guys like it! Things are starting to get a little crazy now. :)

            It had been three days since the cell phones were shut off around the country. The government still had no further information on what was causing this outbreak, but they did know what caused it to spread. If you were bit or scratched by an infected person, you would get the virus. If their blood or saliva got into an open wound, you got the virus. It had spread to twenty states in the past three days and people were panicking all around the country. The virus was spreading quickly and there had been over fifteen-hundred confirmed cases where the patients turned into whatever monsters this virus would create. Leah and Andrew had been planning to drive to his family’s house in Ontario, so they were packing clothes, food, water, and supplies. They had the news on all day long to see if there had been any news of a cure or anything. As they were packing their bags, the reporter spoke.

            “Folks, we’re learning that there have been three confirmed cases of this mystery virus in Ohio. These are the first cases in the state since the first outbreak in Atlanta, three days ago.” The reporter said.

            Leah looked at the T.V and bit her bottom lip gently. “It’s spreading everywhere.” She said softly. “They were saying that there were five cases in southern Illinois and that’s not including the one they said was brought into the city’s hospital.” She said.

            Andrew walked over to her and rubbed her back. “Well it’s not here for sure and we know how to avoid infection, right?”

            Leah nodded and sighed.

            “We’ll be okay. We’ll go up to Ontario and we’ll stay there until it clears out down here. I’m not going to let you get hurt and I’m not going to let anything happen to us, I promise you.” he said, putting his arm around her.

            Leah wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. “I know.” She said softly.

            “A bit of breaking news this hour as we go live outside of our downtown studio where crowds have begun looting nearby stores.” The reporter spoke as a camera panned outside showing a large crowd of people, and in the middle of the crowd there was another reporter.

            “Kelly, I’m standing here with people who are demanding answers from the health department as to what is causing this outbreak.” The man started.

            “Jack, I’m going to have to interrupt you as we are receiving an update from the hospital where one case was confirmed.” Kelly spoke as the camera panned to her again. She had her hand on an earpiece in her ear and her eyes turned from confusion and concentration to absolute horror. “W-we’re hearing of an escaped patient right now. Jack Donaldson was scratched by the infected patient while walking to his room. Against the advice of the doctors, Donaldson left the hospital in worsening condition. Police are on the lookout for the patient to try and contain this from spreading.”

            Leah looked at Andrew who furrowed his brow at the T.V. “The hospital isn’t far from here.” She said softly.

            Andrew nodded and turned the T.V off. “We need to get the car loaded up so we can stop for gas before we leave. Let’s get our bags in the car, okay?” he said, trying to stay calm.

  Leah helped him get the bags into the car and grabbed her jacket from inside. The hospital was only five blocks from their apartment, and there was no indication of where the escaped patient was headed. Andrew put his jacket on and put his phone, laptop, and the corresponding chargers into a bag with Leah’s electronics. The cell towers were currently down, but they figured they would be turned back on at some point. As Andrew got the bag zipped up, there was a loud crash from outside and a blood-curdling screech. He looked out the window and saw a man staggering towards a woman across the street. He was growling and gnashing his teeth at her, causing her to scream for help.

            “What’s going on?” Leah asked, walking towards Andrew.

            Andrew watched as the man sank his teeth into the woman’s neck, causing another scream from her. He closed the blinds and turned to face Leah. He held her shoulders gently. “Leah I need you to listen to me okay? I need you to stay in here; I need to go see if Mary from across the street is alright.”

            Leah shook her head. “No, you can’t go out there. Please don’t go out there.” She begged.

            “Hey, I’m going to be okay.” He said and held her face gently. “Just stay right here, alright?”

            “Andrew…” she said.

            “I’ll be right back.” He said and opened the front door. He went down the front steps and walked across the street.

            Leah looked out the window and watched to make sure he was alright.

            Andrew approached the man who was now pulling out parts of Mary’s neck and eating them. He took a deep breath and spoke. “Sir? Are you alright?” he asked.

            The man’s head snapped over to look at Andrew. He stood up and growled as he lunged towards him.

            Andrew stepped back, missing the curb and falling back onto the pavement.

            Leah gasped as she watched the man climb onto Andrew. “Andrew!” she screamed.

            The man crawled onto Andrew and bit at his face. Andrew held him back before he could get to him. He grunted as he held the man’s shoulders back, keeping his teeth and nails away from him.

            Leah looked over and saw Mary beginning to stir, eventually sitting up. Leah’s hand flew to her mouth as she backed away from the window, not wanting to know what happened next.

            Andrew was just about to stop holding when he heard a police car squeal to a halt near him. “Help! He’s infected!” Andrew yelled to the police officer.

            The police officer shot the man directly in the head causing blood to spray onto Andrew’s chest and neck, and the man to stop moving.

            Andrew shoved the man off of him and saw Mary crawling towards him, only to be shot in the head by the officer as well. He stood up quickly and stared at the two bodies on the sidewalk.

            “Son, get inside your apartment and do not leave until this street is cleared.” The officer said.

  Andrew nodded and walked into the apartment, visibly shaken from the whole incident. When he walked inside, Leah rushed to him, stopping when she saw the blood. When Andrew told her it wasn’t his, she breathed a sigh of relief. He went upstairs and changed clothes, washing the blood off of himself. He came downstairs and gave Leah a hug.

            “I was so scared I thought he was going to bite you.” Leah said into his shoulder.

            “No way, I’d never let that happen.” He said softly. “Listen the officer said that we can’t leave until the street is clear.” He said.

            “We’re supposed to be leaving for Ontario.” Leah said.

  The conversation was cut short when there was a commotion outside. Andrew and Leah looked out the window and saw the police officer being attacked by three looters. They got ahold of his gun and took off down the street. Andrew looked at the officer and then at Leah.

            “We need to go.” He said.

            “What? We’re just leaving him there?” Leah asked.

            Andrew grabbed the electronics bag and nodded. “We have to, Lee, before they shut the street down and barricade us in.”

            Leah nodded and went to the door with Andrew.

            “Listen, when we get outside, I want you to hold my hand and keep your eyes on the ground. Don’t look around, alright? Just keep your eyes on the ground and when we get into the car, just look at your lap, do you understand?” Andrew asked.

            “Yeah, I get it.” Leah said softly.

            “Okay, good. Let’s go.” Andrew said and held her hand.

  They walked down the stairs to Andrew’s SUV. Leah stared at the ground the entire time, until she got into the SUV, where she stared at her lap as she buckled her seat belt. Andrew walked around and got into the driver’s seat, putting the bag in the backseat. He started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

            “Look at me, Leah. Don’t look anywhere else right now.” Andrew said.

            Leah nodded and looked up at Andrew.

            He drove down the street and headed towards the nearest gas station. “Just keep your eyes on me.” He said softly.

            Leah watched him as they drove. When they pulled up to the gas station, she looked out the window and saw that this part of the block was calm. The looting hadn’t gotten here yet, so they came at a good time. “Please be careful out there.” She said, touching Andrew’s hand.

            He looked at her and nodded. “I will. I’ll be right back, okay?” he said and kissed the back of her hand gently.

  Andrew got out of the car and filled the tank up. When he finished filling it up, he closed the gas cap and got back into the driver’s seat. He held Leah’s hand as they pulled out of the gas station and headed down the street. He drove for a little while until they got out of the heart of the city, and into the outer limits of the city in some suburbs. He pulled over in front of a home that was for sale and he turned the car off.

            “Why are we stopping?” Leah asked.

            “I want to see if the phones are back up and working.” Andrew said as he took his phone out. He dialed Leah’s number and after a moment, her phone began to ring.

            “They’re back.” Leah said.

            “They might not be for long. If you need to call someone make it fast, okay?” Andrew said as he dialed Jonathan Toews’ number. He lived in this neighborhood and if he was planning on heading to the border as well, Andrew figured they could just carpool.

            Leah nodded and immediately dialed Patrick’s number. Normally she would have called her mom, but her parents were on a trip to France and the virus hadn’t spread there. She bounced her leg as she waited for an answer.

            “Leah?” Patrick’s voice spoke on the other end.

            “Patrick.” Leah breathed out. She was glad that he was okay.

            Patrick smiled and nodded. “You’re okay.” He said. “I heard that it spread to Chicago and it drove me crazy not knowing if you were okay.”

            “I’m fine. Andrew and I are going to Ontario to stay with his family until this is all over.” Leah explained.

            “That’s good. We’re about to drive to the team’s hanger and fly out.” He said. “Listen, I don’t know how much time the phones will hold out but I want you to know that I’m going to find you guys.” He said. “If I don’t, I know Andrew will take care of you.”

            “Patrick, don’t talk like that, please.” Leah said softly.

            “I’m going to find you guys and we’re all going to be okay.” He said.

            The line started to be overcome with static. “Patrick? Can you still hear me?”

            “It’s cutting out.” Patrick said as the line began to get choppy. “B….afe….lo…ou.” was all that Patrick said before the phones went dead.

            “Patrick?” Leah said and sighed, hanging up her phone. She looked over at Andrew who seemed to have the same problem. “They’re down again.” She said.

            Andrew nodded. “I talked to Jonathan and they haven’t left yet. We’re going to go pick him and Jenna up to ride with us.”

            Leah nodded. “Okay.” She said and looked at her lap, processing what had happened that day.

            Andrew recognized the look on her face and he touched her arm gently. “Hey…we’re okay.” He said softly.

            “You almost weren’t.” Leah said softly, feeling tears rushing to her eyes.

            “Hey…” Andrew pulled her into a side hug and kissed her head. “I know that that was a close call, but I promised you I wouldn’t let anything happen to us.” He said softly.

            Leah held his waist and nodded. “I don’t wanna lose you, Andrew. I never wanna get that close to losing you either.” She said.

            “You won’t, babe. I promise you.” he said and rubbed her cheek gently. “I’m not going anywhere.” He said.

            Leah nodded and wiped her eyes. “Me either.” She said softly.

            He nodded and smiled. “Good.” He said. “Let’s go get them and then we’ll hit the road, okay?” he asked kissing the back of her hand gently.

            Leah nodded and smiled. “Okay.” She said.

  Andrew started the car and drove through the neighborhood towards Jonathan’s house. Leah looked out the window and noticed that the majority of the people in this neighborhood were all packing up to leave. She wondered where they were heading and if they had a plan. As they drove, Andrew reached over and took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. Leah looked over at him and smiled softly, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. He smiled and drove down the road, turning on Jonathan’s street. As they got closer, Leah finally started to feel like this trip was possible. She had been nervous that they wouldn’t be able to get out of the city, but now she knew that they were going to get out. They would get to Ontario and wait until the virus was gone. She felt safe with Andrew and knew that he would do anything to get them to a safe place. She just didn’t know how hard that task would prove to be.


	3. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a side note! Gander Mountain is an outdoorsy type store. I know some places don't have those, so I figured I'd clear that up. :)

            When the car pulled up at Jonathan’s house, there was a moment where everything felt normal again. To Leah, it felt like they were just going to visit Jonathan and Jenna. Andrew got out of the car and walked around to Leah’s side to help her out. He held her hand gently and walked up to the front door to knock. After a few minutes, the door opened and Jenna stood in the doorway with a look of relief.

            “I’m so glad you’re both okay.” She said and gave Leah a big hug.

            “Me too.” Leah said, hugging her back.

            “Come on in, we’re just finishing up packing.” Jenna said and let Andrew and Leah inside.

            Andrew walked in and stood with Leah. “Have you guys heard anything else on the news?” he asked.

            Jonathan came out of the kitchen and put a few things into a cooler bag. “The last thing we heard was that there were looters in the city.” He said.

            Leah nodded and bit her bottom lip nervously. “What if they don’t let us out of the state?” she asked.

            Andrew looked over at her and put his arm around her shoulders. “They can’t keep us here, hun. We’re going to make it to the border and be fine, okay?” he said softly.

            She nodded and smiled softly. “Okay.” She said.

            “Alright that’s everything.” Jonathan said. “Are we all ready to go?” he asked.

            Jenna nodded and grabbed her bag. “Is it bad out there?” she asked.

            Andrew looked at Leah and then at Jenna. “It’s getting worse in the city, but we should be able to avoid everything.” He said.

            Jenna nodded and held Jonathan’s hand gently. “Let’s get out of here.” She said.

  Andrew, Jonathan, Jenna, and Leah all walked out to the car, carrying bags to put in the trunk. When they got all of the bags in, Andrew got in the driver’s seat with Leah in the passenger’s seat. Jonathan and Jenna climbed into the backseat and got buckled in. When everyone was situated, Andrew started the car and began driving out of the neighborhood. While Andrew drove, Jonathan started some small talk to try and keep everyone occupied. He was good at trying to keep a positive mood, especially during rough times. There wasn’t as much traffic as the group expected, but none of them were complaining. About one hour into the trip, Andrew spoke up.

            “Are there any motels or anything open?” he asked.

            Jonathan shrugged. “I haven’t heard anything. I guess we’ll just have to see when we come across one.” He said.

            Jenna nodded. “We should try to avoid stopping as much as possible. We’re all able to drive so we should alternate as much as we can.” She suggested.

            Leah nodded. “That’s probably a good idea. I mean we’ll have to stop for gas, but we can try not to stop.”

            Andrew nodded. “Alright well when I get tired, I’ll let one of you guys drive for a while.” He said.

  The group agreed and the trip continued. The four friends talked and told stories to pass the time and keep everyone’s spirits up. Around five-thirty, the gas tank started to get low. Andrew looked around for a gas station and found one that was five miles away. The group decided to stop there to get some gas and switch drivers. When they pulled up, they noticed that there wasn’t anyone there. Andrew looked around and then spoke.

            “Why don’t you girls stay in here, Jonathan and I will go check it out.” He said.

            Leah looked at him and nodded. “Just be careful, please?”

            “You too.” Jenna said to Jonathan.

            “I’m always careful.” He smirked and got out of the car with Andrew.

  The girls watched as the guys went into the gas station to see what was going on, and if there was an attendant in the back somewhere. Jonathan and Andrew didn’t find anyone so they decided to fill up and leave some cash on the counter, in case someone did come back. They walked out to the car and got the car filled up, and they also filled a couple of gas cans to keep in the car. While they did that, Jenna and Leah talked in the car.

            “I know this is kind of a bad time to ask, but how are you and Andrew?” Jenna asked.

            Leah looked back at her. “What do you mean?” she asked.

            “Well you guys have both liked each other for a long time; I just figured the two of you would be together by now.” Jenna shrugged.

            Leah smiled softly. “Well I suppose the apocalypse is as good a time as any to start a relationship.” She joked.

            Jenna smiled and nodded. “Yeah I guess so.” She said. “I just want to see you both happy.”

            Leah nodded and smiled.

            Andrew opened the driver’s side door and looked in. “Who wants to drive next?” he asked.

            Jonathan spoke up from behind him. “I’ll drive.” He said.

  While the girls got out of the car to switch seats, there was a growling noise coming from the side of the gas station building. Everyone looked over to see the gas station attendant stumbling towards them. His skin was rotting and his eyes were glazed over, just like the people on the news and the man who got Mary. Jonathan looked over the car and narrowed his eyes.

            “Oh my God…” he said softly.

            “Get in the car.” Andrew said. “Now.”

            Jenna climbed into the passenger’s side and shut her door, locking it.

            Jonathan grabbed the gas cans and put them in the trunk before getting into the driver’s seat.

            Leah and Andrew got into the back seat and both shut their doors.

            “Andrew I need the keys.” Jonathan said.

            “Here.” He said, handing the keys to Jonathan.

            Leah looked over as the attendant walked up to her window. “Andrew…” she said softly.

  The attendant pounded his hands on the glass, gnawing at the glass. He had a bite mark on his shoulder that was still oozing blood and slime. He groaned and growled, trying to get into the car.

            “Come here.” Andrew said and put his arm around Leah, turning her head to face into his neck as he held her. “Close your eyes until I tell you.” he said softly.

            Jenna had her hands over her eyes and begged Jonathan to get the car started.

            After a moment of fumbling with the keys, Jonathan got the car started and sped out of the gas station’s driveway. As he drove, he reached over to hold Jenna’s hand in his lap to calm her down.

            Leah held Andrew’s shirt gently and kept her face buried in his neck.

            Andrew held her close and rubbed her back gently. “Okay you can open your eyes.” He said.

            Leah opened them but stayed nuzzled against him. “There’s no getting used to that.” She said softly.

            He nodded and held her close. “I know, babe.” He said and kissed the top of her head. He looked up at the rearview mirror to talk to Jonathan. “We need to be able to protect ourselves in case of another incident like that.”

            Jonathan glanced at the mirror and nodded. “I doubt that any gun stores will have any stock left right now.” He said.

            “Guns?” Jenna said. “We don’t even know how to take these things down.” She said softly.

            Leah looked up and sat up slightly. “Andrew does.” She spoke.

            Andrew nodded. “They won’t go down unless you shoot them in the head.” He said. “I saw a cop stop one this morning.” He said.

            “Do you think that would work with knives or other weapons?” Jonathan asked.

            “I would think so. It seems like as long as you hit the brain, they’ll go down for good.” Andrew said.

            Jenna bit her lip gently. “Well where are we going to get weapons?” she asked.

            Andrew thought for a minute. “There’s a Gander Mountain about half an hour from here. Maybe they haven’t closed up just yet.” He suggested.

            Leah nodded. “We could try there.” She said.

            “What if they’re a dead end?” Jenna asked.

            “Then we’ll have to figure something out.” Jonathan said.

            “What are we gonna do, break in?” Jenna asked.

            Jonathan looked over at her and then at the road. “Well we have to defend ourselves. I doubt the police will have a problem with people trying to protect themselves.” He said.

            Jenna looked at him for a moment and then sighed some. “Well maybe we can at least leave some cash on the counter or something.” She suggested.

            Jonathan nodded. “We can do that.” He said. “This is just in the worst case scenario. Maybe we’ll get there and things will be normal there. We’ll figure it out.” He said and kissed the back of Jenna’s hand.

            Jenna smiled softly and nodded. “We will.” She said.

  Jonathan drove with Jenna’s hand in his. In the backseat, Leah had her head on Andrew’s shoulder and held his hand gently. He had his arm around her shoulders and drew mindless patterns on her arm with his fingertips. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and smiled softly.

            “You’re beautiful.” He said softly.

            Leah looked up at him and smiled. “The world’s coming to an end and you’re still just as charming as ever.” She teased.

            “Only for you.” he smiled and held her close. “Why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll wake you up when we get there.”

            Leah nodded and snuggled up into Andrew’s chest.

  After a few minutes, she was asleep. Neither of them slept well the night before, and with all of the craziness that happened that day, she and Andrew were worn out. He rested his cheek on the top of her head and held her close, watching the road as they rode along. Jonathan kept his eyes on the road as the neared Gander Mountain. He had no idea what they were going to have to do in order to stay safe, but he was willing to do anything to protect Jenna, and his friends. Andrew wasn’t a troublemaker, but if keeping Leah safe meant shoplifting, he was going to do what he needed. Both of the men hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but they were in for a rude awakening.


	4. Three

            Leah was dreaming of life before this infection hit when she felt a nudge on her shoulder, followed by Andrew’s voice.

            “Lee?” he said softly and rubbed her back. “Hey, we’re here.” He said.

            She stirred some and sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She looked out the car window and saw that they were in the Gander Mountain parking lot. “We’re here?” she asked.

            “Yeah, Jonathan went to the window to see if anyone was in there.” Andrew said. “How did you sleep?” he asked.

            Leah looked over at him and shrugged some. “Given the circumstances, I slept great.” She said.

            “It’s probably because I was your pillow.” Andrew joked, smiling at her.

            She looked at him and smiled. “Yeah I think that’s it.” She said.

The driver’s door opened and Jonathan climbed into the seat, turning so he could talk to everyone. “Well I have good news and bad news.” He said. “The bad news is that there is no one working and it looks like no one coming to work.” He started.

“And what’s the good news?” Jenna asked

“Well the good news is the place looks untouched, and the fact that the power is out in most places means the lock should be pretty easy to get past.” Jonathan added. “We can probably get in a back door or something. I can’t imagine any alarms would go off if we broke the window, and if they did I doubt the police would show up.” He said.

Leah looked at him for a moment, thinking. “Wouldn’t the sound of the alarms draw the infected here?” she asked.

Andrew nodded and looked at Jonathan. “She’s probably right. We’ll try not to set off any alarms.” He said.

Jonathan nodded. “Alright well we’ve got flashlights on our phones that we can use. We’re going to have to stay together, I don’t want anyone getting lost or stuck somewhere.” He said, grabbing his phone. The service might have been down, but the apps would still work.

  Andrew got his phone out and got out of the car with Leah. Jenna got out of the car and walked over to meet Jonathan at the front of the car. The group all had their phones and they all walked to the back of the store. Andrew reached over and held Leah’s hand, keeping her close to him. When they got to the back of the building, there was a side door that looked like it only had a regular lock on it.

            Jonathan walked up and reached into his wallet, pulling out his license to get the lock open. “You guys stay here and keep watch. If the alarm goes off, we’re running right back to the car.” He said.

            Leah nodded and held Andrew’s hand, standing close to him.

            “Be careful.” Jenna said, standing with Andrew and Leah.

            Jonathan got the lock open with his license and opened the door slowly. When there weren’t any alarms going off, he smiled over at his friends. “We’re in.” he said.

  Everyone smiled back at him and followed him inside. They walked through the break room that they were in and into the store. There were two floors full of everything they could possibly need. Luckily, they seemed to be the first ones who had this idea, so it the store didn’t look too empty. Jonathan looked around and then looked at the group before speaking.

            “Should we split up or should we stay together?” he asked.

            “I don’t want to be away from you, Jon.” Jenna said.

            “Maybe we can split off into twos so we can get out of here faster.” Leah suggested.

            Andrew nodded. “We can go upstairs and get what we need from up there, and you guys can take the first floor.” He added.

            Jonathan nodded. “Okay, well let’s think up a list so we can grab what we need and then leave.” He said.

            Leah went behind one of the registers and grabbed a piece of scrap paper and a pen. “Here.” She said and handed them to Jonathan.

            “Thanks.” He said and started writing things down. “Okay I’ve got weapons, blankets, water, camp supplies like lanterns and such, maybe some clothes in case we run out of gas and it’s cold.” Jonathan said. “I think they’ve got some food here, we can grab that too.” He said. “Anything else?”

            Andrew thought for a minute. “Should we grab tents?” he asked.

            “It’s not a bad idea to grab a couple, in case we need to camp somewhere.” Leah said.

            Jenna nodded. “We can each grab one.” She said. “They’ve got carts up front so we can carry everything.” She added.

            Jonathan nodded. “Okay then we’re set.” He said and tore the piece of paper into two parts. He handed one to Leah before speaking. “Everything on that list is upstairs so you guys can grab that stuff.” He said.

            “Okay.” She said and looked at Andrew. “Let’s go.” She said.

  Andrew walked up the stairs with Leah while Jonathan and Jenna headed out onto the floor to get the things on their list. The store was barely lit by emergency lights, so everyone used their flashlight apps on their phones. Andrew and Leah grabbed a cart from the upstairs corral and started gathering the items on the list. As they got to the aisle of hunting knives, Andrew looked at Leah.

            “Are you more comfortable with a knife?” he asked.

            Leah shrugged some. “I don’t know.” She said. “Knives will be quieter so they won’t draw more to us.” She said, thinking out loud.

            Andrew nodded and held her hand gently. “I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but you’re so strong, Leah. Most people would be hiding in their rooms right now, but you’re out here trying to help.” He said.

            “Believe me, I’d like to hide.” Leah said softly, looking at her hands.

            “Hey.” He said and lifted her chin gently. “You’re still strong.” He said softly. “I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else in all of this.” He added.

            She looked at him and smiled softly. “Me either.” She said. “You’re my rock, Andrew.” She said, pulling him into a hug.

            Andrew wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled. “You’re mine too, babe.” He said and kissed her forehead gently. “Let’s get locked and loaded, okay?”

            “Okay.” She smiled.

  The two of them each picked out a knife and put them into the cart. They continued throughout the floor, getting the items that Jonathan wrote down.

  Meanwhile, downstairs, Jonathan and Jenna filled up their cart with the items they needed. They went to the back of the store where the guns were kept and Jonathan began looking.

            “Should we get silencers?” Jenna asked, standing by the cart.

            “That’s not a bad idea.” He said and pointed to a glass case. “They’re in there, there shouldn’t be a lock on the case.” He said.

            Jenna walked to the back of the counter and opened the glass case. When there was no alarm, she grabbed four silencers and put them into the cart.

            Jonathan continued looking at the guns and got four handguns, and a shotgun. He put them into the cart and grabbed all of the ammo supply they had. “We should probably load these up before we go.” He said.

            “That sounds like a plan.” Jenna said.

  They loaded all of the guns and Jonathan put one in the back of his jeans. He put his shirt over it and started pushing the cart, walking with Jenna. When they got to the camping section, they heard some rustling in one of the shelves.

            “Shawzy, you down here?” Jonathan asked, pointing his phone’s flashlight at the source of the rustling.

            There was a light growl followed by some groans. Jenna rolled her eyes and walked towards the shelf. “This isn’t funny, Andrew.” She said. When she saw who was really behind the shelf, her eyes went wide.

            Before she had a chance to scream, the zombie grabbed onto her arm, gnashing its teeth at her. Jenna stumbled back in shock, unable to speak.

            Jonathan’s eyes went wide and he grabbed the gun from his pants. He pointed it at the zombie but couldn’t get a clear shot. He ran over and grabbed the zombie’s neck from behind, hammering the handle of the gun into the zombie’s skull, covering himself and Jenna in blood. Its skull cracked and when Jonathan hammered down into the brain a few times, the zombie stopped thrashing and dropped to the ground. He looked at it and then at Jenna. “Are you okay?” he asked.

            “N-no.” she said as tears stung her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Jonathan’s waist and held him tight.

            “I got you, I’m not letting anything hurt you.” he said, holding her close.

  Andrew and Leah came over from the stairway, staring at their friends. Leah looked at both of them and then looked at the dead zombie on the ground. She looked at the blood on Jonathan and Jenna and gave them a look of concern.

            “It’s not ours.” Jonathan said.

            Leah nodded and walked over to Jenna. “Hey, let’s go get you cleaned up, okay?” she said softly.

            Jenna nodded and walked with Leah to one of the carts, grabbing a thermal shirt to change into. Leah held her arm gently and walked her to the bathrooms to get her cleaned up.

            Andrew looked at Jonathan and grabbed a t-shirt from the cart next to him, handing it to his teammate. “What happened?” he asked.

            Jonathan shrugged and looked at the corpse lying at his feet. “We thought it was you goofing off, and then it came out at her. I was going to shoot it but I couldn’t get a clear shot.” He said softly.

            “You did the right thing.” Andrew said and got a rag wet with water from a water bottle. He handed it to Jonathan. “You saved her, Jon.”

            Jonathan nodded and wiped his face and arms off with the rag. He pulled his blood-stained shirt off and set it on the counter next to him. He pulled the new shirt on and sighed. “I almost lost her.” He choked out, the weight of the situation hitting him.

            “Hey…” Andrew said and hugged his friend. “You didn’t lose her, alright? You did the right thing and you saved her life.” He said and pulled back, looking at Jonathan. “She’s okay, you’re okay, we’re all okay.” He said. “We’ll wait for them to get back and then we’ll be on our way again, okay?”

            Jonathan nodded and wiped his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Thanks, man.”

            “No problem.” He said.

  After a few minutes, Jenna and Leah came back from the bathrooms. Jonathan hugged Jenna and made sure she was alright. When she said she was ready to head out, the group pushed the carts out to the car through the back door that they came in. They all helped load everything into the car and then got ready to go.

            “Can I drive for a while? I need to keep my mind busy.” Jenna said.

            Jonathan nodded and kissed her gently. “Of course.” He said and got into the passenger’s side.

            Jenna climbed in the driver’s seat and buckled up.

  Andrew and Leah climbed in the back seat and got buckled in. When they drove off, Leah looked back at the store, realizing what they just did; they stole carts full of stuff and took down another zombie. While she stared at the building, Andrew put his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple. She looked up at him and smiled softly, resting her head on his shoulder. He kissed her head and held her close, letting her rest. They had a long road ahead of them.


	5. Four

Jenna drove for a few more hours, and then Leah took over for a few hours after that. By the time they decided it was time to stop at a hotel, it was almost midnight. The group found a motel that was still open. It wasn’t a resort by any standards, but it was a place that they could sleep that wasn’t the car. Andrew paid for the room and got the keys. They all got back into the car and drove to the other end of the building where their room was, and parked in front of the door in case they had to make a quick exit. They each grabbed one bag full with a change of clothes, water, and some food. They locked the car and went into the motel room, seeing two queen beds and a small bathroom at the back of the room. Jonathan set his bag on one of the beds and looked in the bathroom.

            “We’ve got a shower in here, so whoever wants to go first can go.” He said.

            “I’ll go.” Jenna said and grabbed her bag. She disappeared in the bathroom before anyone could protest.

            Jonathan sat on the bed where his bag was and sighed. “We lucked out with this place, but what happens when we get to places that are closed down?” he asked.

            Andrew looked at him and shrugged. “We’ll camp out.” He said. “Once we get to the border, everything will be fine I’m sure.” He said.

            Leah nodded and sat on the other bed. “I’m just glad we’re still able to shower.” She said, trying to lighten the mood.

            Andrew smirked and nodded.

            Jonathan smiled softly. “You always know how to ease the tension.” He said. “Maybe that’s why you and Shawzy fit together so well.” He teased.

            Leah blushed and smiled, looking at her hands.

  After Jenna finished her shower, Leah went next, then Andrew, then Jonathan. After everyone was done showering, they got changed into the clothes they wanted to wear the next day, so that if they needed to leave in a hurry, they could. They all had some food and talked amongst themselves to keep distracted from the reality of what was going on in the world. After they were done eating, they all got into bed. Jonathan and Jenna curled up under the blankets on their bed and were asleep pretty quickly. Andrew and Leah got under the blankets on their bed and laid back. Leah looked at the ceiling and sighed softly.

            “What are you thinking about?” Andrew asked softly, propping himself up on his hand.

            Leah looked over at him and smiled softly. “I just hope that everyone’s okay. I hope that we can get into Canada and that everything will die down.” She said softly.

            Andrew nodded and pushed her hair back gently. “Everyone is fine, and this is all going to blow over. It’s just that everything is new and people are scared.” He said softly. “I promise you that no matter what, I’m going to get you somewhere safe and we are going to be okay.” He said softly.

            Leah nodded and turned on her side to face him, nuzzling into his chest. She wrapped her arm around his waist and let out a content sigh. “Thank you for keeping me safe.” She said.

            Andrew held her close and kissed her head. “It’s my pleasure.” He smiled. “Sweet dreams, Lee.” He whispered and kissed her cheek.

  Leah fell asleep on Andrew’s chest and he fell asleep soon after her. Everyone slept through the night, without anything or anyone disturbing them.

  The next morning, everyone woke up and got their bags ready. They got the car loaded up and got into the car. Andrew got behind the wheel and Leah sat in the passenger’s seat. Jonathan and Jenna sat in the backseat, buckling up. Andrew started driving and looked around at the buildings they were passing. People were packing bags and loading up their cars with suitcases and bags. Leah looked out her window and noticed that the traffic lights weren’t working, and most of the businesses either had closed signs in the windows, or had signs being put up.

            “Do you think people have the same idea as us?” Leah asked.

            Andrew shrugged some. “Maybe. Maybe people are just gonna go on lockdown until all of this passes.” He said.

            Leah looked out the window and nodded. “Do you think the cell towers are up again?” she asked.

            Jonathan pulled out his phone and checked it. “No luck.” He said. “They’re not even connected anymore.” He added.

            Andrew nodded and drove. “Well maybe things will be different at home.” He said and held Leah’s hand gently.

            Leah smiled over at him and nodded, lacing her fingers with his. “Let’s hope so.” She said.

  The group drove for the rest of the day, only stopping for bathroom breaks. They would rotate drivers to make sure that no one was too tired. Around five-thirty, they started to hit some traffic as they were nearing the border. When they were about half a mile from the border, traffic came to a complete stop. After about half an hour of sitting in the car, Jonathan spoke up.

            “I’m gonna try and see if I can see anything.” He said and got out of the car. He tried to look over the cars, but couldn’t see anything. He stood on the side of the car and was able to see over the cars ahead of them. “I can’t tell what’s going on, but people are starting to get out of their cars.” He said and got down, getting back into the car.

            Andrew bit his bottom lip and then looked back at Jonathan. “Should we go up there and see what’s going on?” he asked.

            Jenna looked at them both. “I don’t want to be separated.” She said softly.

            Jonathan nodded and held her hand gently. “No one’s going to get separated, babe, I promise.” He said.

            Leah looked back at them. “Andrew and I can walk up and see what’s going on.” She suggested.

            Andrew nodded. “I’m up for that.” He said. “Are you guys okay with staying with the car?” he asked Jenna and Jonathan.

            “Yeah.” They both said in unison.

            “Okay well we’ll be right back.” He said and got out of the car.

  Leah got out of the car with him and walked the half mile towards the border. People were starting to get out of their cars to see what was going on, so Andrew put his arm around Leah’s shoulders to keep her close. As the got closer, they saw a crowd of people surrounding an even bigger crowd of SWAT members and police officers. Andrew rubbed Leah’s shoulder and tried to hear what was going on.

            “This country isn’t safe anymore!” a crowd member shouted.

            “It’s our right to be able to travel.” Another member said.

            Leah looked up at Andrew. “Do you think they’re not letting people in?” she asked.

            Andrew shrugged. “I don’t know.” He said softly.

            A SWAT member stood up on one of the police cars and held a megaphone to his mouth. “I need everyone to stay calm and quiet so that I can explain what’s going on.” He said in a deep voice. The crowd calmed down a little to listen to him, and then he began speaking again. “Due to the nature of this sickness and our limited sterilization methods, we are not letting anyone over the border into Canada.”

            Leah looked up at Andrew who gave her a sympathetic look. She turned her attention back to the SWAT member who was trying to speak over the restless crowd.

            “Our advice is to get back into your cars and drive back home until all of this gets taken care of.” He said, his voice was barely audible over the roaring crowd.

  The crowd began to get even more restless, and people started to shove through the groups of police officers and SWAT members. They were pushed back, causing Leah to get nervous. Andrew wrapped his arm around her tighter and pulled her against him to make sure she wasn’t shoved. As people got angrier, they started to climb over the lines of police cars. Before anyone had time to react, gunshots went off and the people who were climbing the cars were taken down. Leah gasped and turned her face into Andrew’s chest, closing her eyes tightly.

            “We need to get back to the car.” He said and rubbed her back. “Let’s go.” He said softly.

            Leah nodded and held onto Andrew’s waist as they headed back towards the car through the crowds. As they walked, someone got shoved fairly hard into Leah, causing her to fall to the ground.

            “What where the hell you’re going!” Andrew snapped, reaching to help Leah up.

            “Andrew?” a familiar voice spoke.

            Andrew helped Leah up and made sure she was okay before turning to see the person who was shoved into her. “Patrick?” he asked.

            Patrick Kane stood there, soon joined by his girlfriend Nicole. “I didn’t mean to, I got shoved by some guy.” He said.

            Leah looked at her friends and shook her head. “It’s okay.” She said. “How did you guys get here?” she asked.

            Nicole hugged Leah and then Andrew. “We took a bus, that’s the only way they were letting people out of the city. What about you guys?” she asked.

            Andrew hugged his friends and then spoke. “We carpooled with Jon and Jenna.” He said. “They’re not letting anyone into Canada, they’re shooting people up there.” He said.

            Patrick sighed and nodded. “I thought that might be a problem.” He said. “Well what are we going to do now?” he asked.

            Leah looked around and the crowd that was getting even angrier. “Let’s go back to the car and figure it out.” She said softly.

            Andrew nodded. “Why don’t you guys go get your bags from the bus, then we’ll go to my car?”

            Patrick nodded and walked with Nicole to get their bags from the bus. When they came back, they walked with Andrew and Leah to the car.

  When they all got to the car, Jonathan and Jenna got out and greeted Patrick and Nicole. Andrew explained what was going on to the rest of the group and they all began to formulate a plan. Leah sat on the passenger’s seat with her legs hanging out of the car.

            “So what’s the new goal?” she asked.    

            Patrick shrugged some and then spoke. “It’s a long shot, but what if we head to the coast? We could rent a boat and head somewhere.” He said.

            Andrew nodded. “If we go to the east coast, we could get a boat into Nova Scotia and then figure things out from there.” He said.

            Jonathan agreed. “That sounds like a better plan than just sitting here.” He half joked. He looked at Patrick and Nicole. “Are you guys gonna ride with us?” he asked.

            “If you guys are okay with it.” Nicole added.

            Andrew nodded to them. “Of course. Let’s get turned around and headed out.” He said and walked around the car to get into the driver’s seat.

  Patrick and Nicole climbed into the third row seat and put their bags on the floor in front of them. Jonathan and Jenna got back into the middle row and shut their doors. Andrew turned the car around and headed back down the road where they came from. Leah closed her eyes, trying to erase the images of the civilians being shot in front of her. Andrew reached over and held her hand in his lap, trying to keep her calm. Even though the border plan was foiled, everyone was glad that they found two more of their friends alive and well. Now they just needed to work towards their new goal; the east coast.


	6. Five

            A few hours had passed and the heat of the summer began to pick up. Patrick was now driving and Nicole was sitting up front with him while the rest of the group sat in back. They had been driving for quite some time and had made it to Indiana around four. The further they drove, the quieter and emptier the roads got until the road was completely empty. When they drove past buildings and houses, wooden boards covered the windows and cars were out of the driveways.

            “News must travel pretty fast.” Leah muttered as she looked out the window.

            Jonathan nodded. “When people don’t have answers, they tend to panic.” He said and put an arm around Jenna’s shoulders.

            “We’re gonna have to pull over to fill up the tank. Maybe we can find a spot to eat some dinner.” Patrick suggested.

            Andrew nodded and held Leah’s hand in his. “There’s a forest preserve up here, maybe we can camp there tonight. I’m sure no one is out camping right now.”

            Jenna looked over. “That’s not a bad idea. It’ll be nice to have some sort of normalcy for a little bit.” She said giving a half smile.

            “Then it’s a plan.” Patrick said and watched out for signs for the forest preserve.

  After another while of driving, Patrick pulled the SUV into the long driveway that led to various little spots and viewing areas. He found a large open spot, surrounded by tall trees. He parked the car and looked back at his teammates.

            “Should we check out the area before we get situated?” he asked.

            Andrew nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. You girls stay here and we’ll go see if it’s safe out there.” He said and kissed Leah’s temple.

            “Be safe.” Leah said.

            Jonathan got out of the car with Andrew and Patrick, and then got a gun for each of them from the trunk.

            Patrick kissed Nicole and smiled. “We’ll be right back.” He said.

            “Okay, be careful.” She said.

  The guys walked out into the opening and searched the area to make sure it was clear, while the girls stayed in the car with the doors locked. Leah looked out the window and looked around at the area. It was a nice, shady spot and it would be a great spot to camp. A few minutes passed and the guys came back to the car, signaling that it was clear.

            Leah opened her door and got out of the car to stretch her legs. “Is it okay?” she asked.

            “Yeah, there’s no one out here for miles.” Andrew said. “We can get the tents set up and get a fire going.” He added.

            “Good.” She said and helped get the tents out of the trunk.

  The group got the tents and bags out and started setting up camp. Patrick and Nicole brought their own tent, so there were three in total. Patrick helped Jonathan get the tents set up while Nicole and Jenna got some food together. Andrew watched as Leah brought her bags over to the tent that they were going to share. She looked tired, and not physically tired, but mentally tired. They had all gone through a lot in the past few days, but Leah was still trying to hold things together and stay strong for everyone else. She needed a break, and Andrew could tell. He bit his bottom lip for a moment and then walked over to her.

            “Why don’t you and I go out and get some firewood?” he asked.

            Leah looked up at him and shrugged. “Sure.” She said and set her bag down. “Jenna, we’re going to go get some wood for the fire. Are you guys gonna be okay?”

            Jenna looked over and nodded. “Just be careful and don’t wander too far, okay?”

            “We won’t.” Leah said and smiled. “We’ll be back shortly.” She said and hugged her friend.

  Leah walked over to Andrew and followed him down a narrow dirt path that led into the trees. They made some small talk while they walked, until they came across the lake where campers could go swimming. Andrew smirked and held Leah’s hand, walking her to the little area of sand that surrounded the lake. Leah looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

            “I thought we were getting some firewood.” You said.

            “We are, but first we’re going to take a little break.” Andrew smiled, pulling his shirt over his head.

            “Won’t the others worry?” she asked, trying not to stare.

            “I already talked to Jonathan, they know we’re doing this.” He said and walked over, touching her cheek gently. “Just because the world is going a little crazy, doesn’t mean that we can’t still have a normal life.” He said softly. “Come on.” He smiled and walked back to the spot where his shirt lay in the sand. He undid his shorts and slid them off, standing in just his boxers.

            Leah bit her lip and then nodded. “You’re right.” She said and pulled her shirt off, dropping it by Andrew’s clothes. She slid her shorts off and walked to the water with Andrew.

  They both walked into the water and went deep enough for the water to reach their shoulders. They swam around some and Andrew snuck up on Leah, splashing her gently. She giggled and splashed him back, resulting in a splash war. Eventually, Andrew started winning and Leah laughed, turning away.

            “Okay, okay, truce.” She giggled, wiping her face. “I give up.” She smiled, looking back at him.

            Andrew smiled and went over to her, standing close in front of her. He reached up and pushed some hair off of her face, wiping her cheek gently.

            Leah smiled and blushed. “What?” she asked softly.

            “I’m just glad to see that genuine, beautiful smile back on your face.” He smiled.

            She smirked and nodded. “You bring it out of me. Even when times get tough.” She added.

            Andrew smiled down at her. “Can I do something?” he asked.

            Leah nodded, looking up at him.

            “Close your eyes.” He spoke softly, just above a whisper.

            She did so and felt his hand move to the side of her face and neck.

            Andrew leaned down and kissed her gently, wrapping his arm around her waist.

            When Leah felt his lips on hers, she felt sparks and immediately moved her hand to his shoulder. She kissed back and smiled against his lips, causing him to smirk as well. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for that.” She said softly.

            Andrew smiled and rubbed her back gently. “Me either.” He said.

            Leah smiled and kissed him again. “Let’s get back to camp, okay?”

            “Okay.” He smiled and gave her one last kiss before they got out of the water to dry off.

  Once they got dry enough to put their clothes back on, they gathered some wood and headed back to the campsite, talking about different things that came to mind. They got back to camp and set the wood in the small pit that Jonathan had dug out.

            “It’s about time you guys got back.” He smirked.

            “Sorry we lost track of time.” Andrew smiled.

            Leah nodded and went over to Jenna and Nicole to help them get dinner ready.

            “I take it things went well, then?” Jonathan asked.

            “Better than ever.” Andrew smiled and walked over to Leah, placing a gentle kiss on her head.

            Leah smiled and leaned up to kiss him gently. “You go rest, we’ve got this.” She smiled.

            “Okay.” He smiled and kissed her again, not being able to stop himself.

  When Andrew walked away, Jenna and Nicole began teasing Leah about this new development in her relationship with Andrew. She smiled and accepted it all, glad that they took this new venture. The three girls cooked dinner with a little help from Patrick who insisted on cooking something.

  The group sat around the fire to eat and chat, telling stories about life before this infection. After they all ate, they cleaned up and got changed into pajamas to go to bed. Jonathan and Jenna went into their tent after saying goodnight to everyone. Patrick and Nicole decided to sit out by the fire a little while longer, so Andrew and Leah went to their tent. When they got inside, they both lay down on the air mattress, pulling a light blanket over them.

            Andrew put his arm around Leah’s waist and kissed her gently. “I’m glad I have you in all of this.” He said softly.

            Leah smiled, kissing him back and nodded. “I’m glad too.” She said and rubbed his cheek.

            He smiled and rubbed her arm softly. “I love you, Leah Robertson.” He said softly.

            Leah smiled at him and bit her bottom lip. “I love you too, Andrew Shaw.” She said and kissed him. “Promise me something?”

            “Anything.” He said and kissed her forehead, pulling her close.

            She held his waist, snuggling into his chest. “Promise me that you’ll never leave me?” she said softly, barely loud enough to hear.

            Andrew gave her a gentle squeeze and then kissed her head again. “I promise that I will never leave you, babe. Never in a million years, you’re stuck with me.” He smirked.

            Leah smiled and nodded. “Good.” She said softly. “Night, Andrew.”

            He smiled softly and held her. “Night, Lee.”

  The pair dozed off in the tent, warm and comforted in each other’s embrace. Finally, something normal in this world.


End file.
